Ambulance

Ambulance service quality in Australia has been steadily declining, mostly due to a lack of funding and resources provided by State Governments.

Stories abound of sub-standard ambulance services that have directly resulted in the loss of life due to extended waiting times as well as a lack of resource capacity for ambulances to provide fundamental transport services.

Issues include:

Ambulances that are routinely un-contactable;

Ambulances that are fitted with faulty equipment;

Delays of two or more hours in parts of regional Australia;

Ambulances carrying seriously ill patients are routinely waiting for hours outside hospitals for a bed to become available in emergency departments;

Instances where ambulances are “ramped” (queued outside full hospital emergency departments) meaning paramedics have to stay with the patient and are therefore unable to respond to other calls for assistance; and

Patient Information

The Australian Patients Association is an independent not-for-profit organisation dedicated to championing and protecting the rights and interests of all patients, and improving overall patient care and health outcomes.